Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-m6dg7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-02T21:22:34.823Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Analysis of Trauma Care Education in the South Sudan Community Health Worker Training Curriculum

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 February 2015

Adedamola Ogunniyi ,
Melissa Clark  and
Ross Donaldson
Adedamola Ogunniyi*
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, California USA David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California USA
Melissa Clark
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California USA San Francisco General Hospital, San Francisco, California USA
Ross Donaldson
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, California USA David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California USA UCLA – Fielding School of Public Health, Los Angeles, California USA
*
Correspondence: Adedamola Ogunniyi, MD 6526 Ocean Crest Drive Apartment A314 Rancho Palos Verdes, California 90275 USA E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Introduction

Trauma is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, with the majority occurring in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Allied health workers are often on the front lines of caring for trauma patients; this is the case in South Sudan, where a system of community health workers (CHWs) and clinical officers (COs) form an essential part of the health care structure. However, curricula for these workers vary, and it is unclear how much these training programs include trauma education.

Hypothesis/Methods

The CHW training curriculum in South Sudan was reviewed to evaluate the degree to which it incorporates trauma education, according to established guidelines from the World Health Organization (WHO). To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first formal comparison of a CHW curriculum with established WHO trauma guidelines.

Results

The curriculum incorporated a number of essential components of the WHO guidelines; however, the concepts taught were limited in scope. The curriculum only covered about 50% of the content required for basic providers, with major deficiencies being in the management of head and spinal injuries, safety protocols for health care personnel, and in the management of pediatric patients.

Discussion/Conclusion

The CHW training curriculum lacks the requisite content to provide adequately a basic level of trauma care and requires amending to ensure that all South Sudan citizens receive appropriate treatment. It is recommended that other LMICs review their existing training curricula in order to improve their ability to provide adequate trauma care and to ensure they meet the basic WHO guidelines.

OgunniyiA , ClarkM , DonaldsonR . Analysis of Trauma Care Education in the South Sudan Community Health Worker Training Curriculum. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2015; 30(2): 1 8

Keywords

clinical officerscommunity health workersSouth Sudantrauma caretrauma education
Type
Original Research
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 30 , Issue 2 , April 2015 , pp. 167 - 174
Copyright
© World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 2015 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA). South Sudan Statistics, January 2014. https://docs.unocha.org/sites/dms/SouthSudan/South_Sudan_Media_Briefing_Pack/South%20Sudan%20humanitarian%20and%20development%20statistics%20-%20December%202013.pdf. Accessed December 11, 2014.Google Scholar
2. Diaspora engagement can help to develop health sector in south. IOM Web site. http://www.southsudandiasporaforhealth.org/pages/6-diaspora-engagement-can-help-to-develop-health-sector-in-south-sudan.php. Accessed December 11, 2014.Google Scholar
3. Mock, C, Lormand, JD, Goosen, J, Joshipura, M, Peden, M. Guidelines for essential trauma care. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization; 2004.Google Scholar
4. Mock, CN, Adzotor, KE, Conklin, E, Denno, DM, Jurkovich, GJ. Trauma outcomes in the rural developing world: comparison with an urban Level I trauma center. J Trauma. 1993;35(4):518-523.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
5. Mock, CN, Jurkovich, GJ, nii-Amon-Kotei, D, Arreola-Risa, C, Maier, RV. Trauma mortality patterns in three nations at different economic levels: implications for global trauma system development. J Trauma. 1998;44(5):804-814.Google Scholar
6. Sixtieth World Health Assembly, Geneva, Switzerland. Agenda item 12.14, WHA 60.22. “Health Systems: Emergency-care Systems.” May 23, 2007.Google Scholar
7. Anderson, PD, Suter, RE, Mulligan, T, Bodiwala, G, Razzak, JA, Mock, CN. World Health Assembly Resolution 60.22 and its importance as a health care policy tool for improving emergency care access and availability globally. Ann Emerg Med. 2012;60(1):35-44.Google Scholar
8. Mock, CN, Arreola-Risa, C, Quansah, R. Strengthening care for injured persons in less developed countries: a case study of Ghana and Mexico. Inj Control Saf Promot. 2003;10(1-2):45-51.Google Scholar
9. Mullan, F, Frehywot, S. Non-physician clinicians in 47 sub-Saharan African countries. Lancet. 2007;370(9605):2158-2163.Google Scholar
10. South Sudan Community Health Worker Training Curriculum, 2005; Provisional Health Personnel Council for South Sudan.Google Scholar
11. Lado, DK. Trauma, a new cause of death, disability, and economic loss in Juba. Southern Sudan Medical Journal. 2011;4(2):36-38.Google Scholar
12. Hanche-Olsen, TP, Alemu, L, Viste, A, Wisborg, T, Hansen, KS. Trauma care in Africa: a status report from Botswana, guided by the World Health Organization’s “Guidelines for Essential Trauma Care.” World J Surg. 2012;36(10):2371-2383.Google Scholar
13. Mock, CN, Quansah, R, Addae-Mensah, L, Donkor, P. The development of continuing education for trauma care in an African nation. Injury. 2005;36(6):725-732.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
14. Tchorz, KM, Thomas, N, Jesudassan, S, et al. Teaching trauma care in India: an educational pilot study from Bangalore. J Surg Res. 2007;142(2):373-377.Google Scholar
15. Aboutanos, MB, Rodas, EB, Aboutanos, SZ, et al. Trauma education and care in the Jungle of Ecuador, where there is no Advanced Trauma Life Support. J Trauma. 2007;62(3):714-719.Google Scholar
16. Bergman, S, Deckelbaum, D, Lett, R, et al. Assessing the impact of the Trauma Team Training Program in Tanzania. J Trauma. 2008;65(4):879-883.Google ScholarPubMed
17. Husum, H, Gilbert, M, Wisborg, T. Training prehospital trauma care in low-income countries: the ‘Village University’ experience. Med Teach. 2003;25(2):142-148.Google Scholar
18. Mock, CN, Nguyen, S, Quansah, R, Arreola-Risa, C, Viradia, R, Joshipura, M. Evaluation of trauma care capabilities in four countries using the WHO-IATSIC guidelines for essential trauma care. World J Surg. 2006;30(6):946-956.Google Scholar
19. Ogunniyi, A. The Emergency and Disaster Care (EDC) Program in South Sudan: Experiences and Lessons Learned. Technical report for the Health Technical Unit, International Medical Corps; Los Angeles, California USA. April 2013.Google Scholar